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Plowing contests have taken them all around the globe Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Agri News staff writer
SPRING HILL, Minn. -- The Gruber family from Spring Hill is heavily involved in plowing contests at the state, national and international level.
Dad Werner is a four-time national winner as is his son, Conrad and Werner's cousin, Bernie Nietfeld. Another son, Marvin, has been in the world championships three times. Another son, Gene, just won his fourth national competition.
He will now compete at the world championships in April.
"We had five boys and three took it over with the plow competitions," Werner said. "And the two others say they couldn't because they didn't have a plow."
Plowing competitions were started by the Soil Conservation Service in the late 1940s, Nietfield said. Years later, when the SCS pulled out as an organizer, competitors continued on.
"A lot of us were addicted to it," Bernie said. "We organized our own county, state and national associations and competitions."
He plowed in his first national contest in 1954.
The world plowing association's motto is "plowing for peace." The Grubers have found that the motto holds true.
"There's no politics involved," Conrad said. "We're all there to compete."
Conrad competed with 32 countries. Bernie recalls 25 countries involved during one if his world contests.
Bernie recalls competing at a national contest in Fargo, N.D., in 1964. It was a political year and he has pictures of democrat Hubert Humphrey sitting on his tractor and republican Barry Goldwater giving him a first place medal.
"In what other contest can you have a farm boy out of Stearns County, who didn't complete high school, go to 12 national competitions and make 16 round trips over a major ocean?" Bernie asked. "That wouldn't have happened if I wouldn't have done the plowing." |
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